Nichts wächst im Mondschein

Author: Torborg Nedreaas

Torborg Nedreaas (1906–1987) is one of the most prominent writers in Norway. Her novels and stories are considered major works of Norwegian literature. "Nothing Grows in the Moonlight," her first novel, was published in 1947. It is regarded as a groundbreaking work, both in its portrayal of female sexual desire and in its depiction of pressing social issues, and it has since achieved cult status. The book is currently being rediscovered internationally and will be reissued in thirteen languages. Nedreaas won Norway's first Critics' Prize and was awarded the Doubloug Prize as well as the Prize of the Norwegian Academy. Her advocacy for women's rights and social justice shaped her writing and public appearances. In 2023, "Nothing Grows in the Moonlight" was selected by the newspaper Klassekampen as one of the ten most important books in the new "Canon of the Left," alongside monumental works by Marx and Engels, Pierre Bourdieu, Simone de Beauvoir, and John Steinbeck.

Translation: Gabriele Haefs

Dr. Gabriele Haefs studied linguistics in Bonn and Hamburg. For 25 years, she has translated works from Danish, English, Dutch, and Irish, among others. She has received several awards, including the Gustav Heinemann Peace Prize and the German Youth Literature Prize, most recently in 2008 with the Special Prize of the German Youth Literature Prize for her overall work as a translator. She has translated works by Jostein Gaarder, Camilla Grebe, and Anne Holt, among others. Together with various colleagues, she has edited several anthologies of Scandinavian writers.